


Blue Ribbons

by cootpancake



Series: Pancake's Starbucks Sippy Cup [6]
Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: AKA Buck has a moment, Gay Panic, Hair Braiding, Love Confessions, M/M, Neither Jenos/Buck or Io have an official tag yet, The one where Io knows, What must I do for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 18:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20232280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cootpancake/pseuds/cootpancake
Summary: Io would say she did a pretty good job braiding Jenos' hair, since she hadn't done it on anyone that wasn't herself for a long time. But she had faith in herself because she would be in for it if she messed up Jenos' hair in any way.She could say she predicted that it would attract the attention of the resident man child.





	Blue Ribbons

**Author's Note:**

> AKA Io braids Jenos' hair and it causes Buck to have a gay crisis because in my fics, when does he not.
> 
> I wrote this because I felt like I hadn't posted just a casual Jenos x Buck fic in a while, so here it is, just some casual ship stuff that came directly out of my asshole. People are starting to ship Io x Jenos and I'm getting stressed out here guys, this is a call to all of you to make your own Jenos x Buck contributions, for we will not die out.

The two gods sat quietly in each other’s presence, Jenos hovering slightly above the floor from where Io was sitting. Letting her run her fingers through long strands of the man’s blue silk hair. Folding them over each other in a braid pattern, pulling up flowers from the ground to tuck them underneath the blue folds. Io usually used crystals but she would have to make-do, since Jenos barely ever let anyone touch his hair, so she was at least going to make it as good as possible, just to savour the moment. 

It was fairly quiet in the woods where the paladins had set up a temporary camp, with everyone either still sleeping or out and about somewhere in the trees, since Io knew she had seen Buck leave early to the edge of the mountain, probably to meditate or do whatever he did. She would t deny that he could be a bit air headed sometimes, but his happiness seemed to rub off on everyone. She could see the potential within him, she supposed that Jenos had chosen him for a reason, whatever reason that may be.

Io pulled a blue ribbon out of thin air, looping around the ends of the braid and tying it into a bow. Pulling at the ends and deeming that her work was finished. It was a fairly loose braid, stems of flowers of assorted colours were pushed neatly underneath the folds of blue, end tied off with a ribbon that matched the rest of Jenos’ colour scheme. She could have opted for gold, but the deep blue blended much better against the light shades, also it was easy to conjure since she used ribbons of similar tones for her own hair.

”You are completely certain that there are no knots or tangles? If there are and you are lying to me, then I will not be pleased.” Jenos flicked his braid slightly, letting it lightly rest above his shoulders. He could feel his face slightly flush, he hadn’t had his hair done in a long time, his sister used to do it, but he doubted that after a few centuries she was still alive. He misses her every day, but not like there was much he was able to do about it. Pulling the braid around over him so he could see the end, eyeing up the parts he could see, tracing over the visible petals with a single delicate finger. 

“You and I both know that lying about whether or not I had knotted your hair would only spell trouble for me. You’ve seen my own braids plenty of times, and you think that I would be as careless as to make knots out of a loose braid. It looks great, not to brag, but I believe that I did a good job.” Io gestured to her own braids, flicking them from behind her head. Even though her own we’re much more slaved over, with heavy beads and crystal weighing them down, pulled tight so they wouldn't come loose.

"I was just being wary, you know how I feel about other people touching my hair. But I suppose that I can trust you, I shouldn't doubt your skill considering your braid your hair every day for what would have been the past couple centuries." Jenos let go of his braid, opting to just instead leave it be before it pulled it a wrong way which would cause it to fall out. 

"You would think after a few centuries you might just think that I have any kind of skill in doing hair, at least I would hope so." Io reached back to fiddle with her own braids, pulling them around onto her shoulders so she could show off her hard work that she slaves over every time she takes them out. Feeling slightly proud at a skill that she finally had the chance to show off.

The sun started to fully rise, letting it's golden glow wash over all of the realm as it ascended over the mountain peaks. The ground and trees became soaked in it's light, a calling for all of the world to rise, to make use of the new day. Even with some, who were already out and about before even the rising of the sun. Buck was one of those people, waking up before the crack of dawn just to watch the sunrise on the cliff side, it made his meditation much more calming.

The man stepped through the forest, deciding that now that the realm had come up into daytime, he would return so he would be present for when the rest of the resistance decided to wake up. Valera was most likely out mapping the area, most likely with Cassie as well with them also being early birds. Buck cursed his height for a moment, with the top of his head slightly brushing against the trees, but he continued through the forest to where the group had set up a temporary camp in an attempt to evade Magistrate spies and scouts.

Buck spotted the camp through a clearing in the trees, seeing the familiar shades of pastel purple and blue seated and waiting by the campfire that had long since gone out. Soft wisps of smoke still slightly rising from the charcoal that sat inside the circle.

"I just think that it would look better without the mask, I'm the braid expert here after all." Io slightly giggled, reaching slowly towards Jenos' mask with her slender fingers, trying to slowly pry the mask off of the man's face, but it refused to budge. "I'm just saying that the braid will frame your face,"

"Didn't think ya' guys argued that much, ya' like really dysfunctional siblings or somethin'" Buck walked out into the clearing to be met with the two gods arguing, with Io trying to push her ideas and Jenos sitting and being stubborn. A dynamic which Buck didn't expect from the two gods, considering that he thought they would be really good friends, or even together if he pushed the edges of his imagination. 

"I decided to braid Jenos' hair since he wanted me to do it, but now he's being quite stubborn with me, almost like I haven't been doing my own braids for the past eternity." Io sounded almost annoyed, like she was dealing with a five-year-old. Understandable, considering Io has been around for what seems like an eternity whereas Jenos only has several centuries to his name. Buck glanced over to Jenos, braid very visibly sitting over his shoulder, flower petals tucked into the blue strands and ribbon tied neatly at the end, the god turned his head to the side to hide his red face from his embarrassment. Buck also turning slightly red at the braid that he saw, he always liked the long hair that the god had, but now that it was neatly folded and tied, it looked even better,

"What she means to say is that she is very rudely trying to remove my mask without my consent, it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable when anyone sees my face. But Io is insisting that I take it off, it will apparently compliment my braid." Jenos sat with his arms crossed, both gods were equally trying to pitch their sides of the story to Buck.

"Well... I've never seen ya' face before and I'm always a tad bit curious... So I wouldn't mind if ya' took the mask off, o-only if you wanted to though!" Buck became flustered while talking, he was always curious about what Jenos' face looked like, then again, mot people did. The public always saw him as a regal, celestial figure, but when Buck actually got to know him, he found out that he was more curious, stubborn and always willing to help those in need. Jenos was part human too after all.

"I-... I suppose if you really want to see, then I guess it's no problem of mine..." Jenos stumbled over his words for a moment, sure people have wanted to see under his mask before, but he always said no. But when you got asked my a man child with puppy eyes, it was hard to say no. Lifting his hand up slowly to his mask where his fingers met cool metal.

He let his mask loosen, gripping it between his fingers as he lifted it off of his face, his skin there was slightly sweaty from how long it had been under the mask. Not as if it was a problem though, he did wash both his face and his mask but only in private due to his self-consciousness, but he could make few exceptions, very few.

Jenos wanted to hide his face, but he stayed composed, he didn't want to make it seem like he was at all nervous. Feeling himself break slightly at every small movement he tried to make. He was pretty sure that out of all the people he knew, Io was the only person out of them who had ever seen his face, he had taken his mask off for some people that wanted to actually see it, but he would never show his face, until now apparently.

Buck bent his knees slightly to get a better look, positioning himself right in front of Jenos so he could see properly. The full picture, braid hanging slightly off of the side of the god's shoulder, strong jawline and slightly upturned eyes, the light that filled them blew away, leaving only ocean blue irises and dilated pupils. High cheekbones were dusted with pink due to nervousness, and when Buck finally took in what he saw he had to shakily exhale a single breath. Jenos was turning redder with every passing moment, but he still refused to break.

Jenos looked over Buck's shoulder to see where Io was sitting, she had some kind of 'knowing' look on her face, making a heart with her hands and giving a small smile. Causing the other god to swallow thickly, silently praying that the other would be satisfied with their viewing and move back a step.

"Y-yeah... damn... I mean- It looks really good! I think you did a real good job with it Io! It's uh... pretty..." Buck spun around to the back of the god, picking up the braid between his calloused fingers, tracing lines in the blue strands and along the bright petals. Looking up to Io for a moment, he could see a strange look in her eyes, knowing that she was currently trying to stifle a small giggle. 

"I'm glad you like it, Jenos shouldn't have doubted himself because you seem to enjoy my work very much." Io sat and spoke in an almost pushy tone, she could see how red the two men were, and just from a single braid with some flowers in it. She had her suspicions about Jenos' feelings towards his disciple and always wondered if there was a ever a possibility that he would let it be something more, since it was obvious that Buck returned those same feelings. But when one is bad at communicating in fear of ruining their image and the other is a dense goofball, it's a bit hard for them to pick up on signals.

"Actually, I might take a quick walk in the forest, just to clear my head for a moment, I'll be back in a few minutes." Io said her words with a sickly sweet smile, walking away from the two men and leaving to step into the dark embrace of the trees. She shot Jenos a knowing look, she believed that he could do it.

When Io had completely disappeared into the forest, Buck chose to sit firmly behind the god and wrap his arms firmly around his small waist. Hearing a quiet squeak from the man in front of him. Leaning forward to bury his face in the blue folds, letting himself take in it's softness. Jenos was too flustered to tell the man to stop, if it was anyone else then he would've gotten angry and yelled at them for messing with his hair, but for some reason he couldn't do that to Buck. The strange ways in which that man made him more sentimental were getting on his nerves.

"Io should do this kinda stuff more often, she does it real good and you look nice with it in," Buck was about to burst at the seams, he didn't know how long he could keep up this confident persona, it wasn't as if him and Jenos were together, but a string of stupid romantic and cheesy words just seemed to find a way to waterfall out of the man's mouth.

"I-if you think that it suits me... Then I'll consider asking Io to do it more often." Jenos was melting into the embrace from behind, trying to keep himself stiffened but he just couldn't manage, he wanted to let himself love this man, but something inside of him forbid his throat from saying those words. The god heavily swallowed, feeling his heart race in his chest.

"After all this... It caused me to think about how I properly felt about you... In- In a romantic sense, I suppose. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that my quickened heartbeat that would start whenever I was around you was no coincidence... That there might be something more behind it..." Jenos wanted to reach for his mask, throw it back on an fly up into the heavens where nobody would find him, but he willed himself to stay, he could be strong. He spun around to meet Buck face-to-face, looking directly deep within his eyes.

"Are- Are you... I mean- Oh, screw it." Buck was trying to formulate a sentence, but his brain was running too fast and his heart was beating too loud for his mind to understand anything. So instead, he instantly reached forward and cupped his hands around Jenos' cheeks, moving closer forward and pulling the god upwards and causing the two to lock together in a tender kiss. Fervor and passion, bodies flush and the two could've almost exploded from the sheer surprise and heat of the moment.

Buck let go of Jenos' cheeks, but neither backed away and only continued to push into each other. The two were no strangers to any kind of love, but when they became closer, they were introduced to a new kind of love. A love of purity and passion.

**Author's Note:**

> End notes? I dunno what to put here but... They are together now! That's nice, Io knew, she knew from the start.
> 
> Until next time my dudes.


End file.
